NAS LIMA END OF MONTH REPORT - AUGUST

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIMA 001290 SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/LP AND WHA/PPC E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2019 TAGS: SNAR KCRM ASEC PREL PE SUBJECT: NAS LIMA END OF MONTH REPORT - AUGUST REF: A. LIMA 1166 Classified By: NAS Director Abelardo A. Arias for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d) ¶1. (U) Summary: * Ports Program Report * Capture of Sendero Luminoso leader leads to NAS-PNP collaboration seminar * Aviation Report * NAS Director and Deputy Meet with head of Police Education directorate * NAS Director and Deputy Meet with Huanuco Regional President on New Police Academy * Gearing up for Eradication in Tingo Maria * Eradication Update -------------- Ports Program Report -------------- ¶2. (U) At the end of August, Peruvian Customs installed a body scanner at the International Airport in Cuzco, thus addressing a major narcotics trafficking vulnerability at that port. The Peuvian Customs team that will operate the machine will be trained the first week of September and the unt is expected to be fully operational by mid-September. The body scanner in Cuzco is one of four purchased by NAS and provided to the GOP to detect and deter the smuggling of narcotics ingested by, or taped to the bodies of, travelers. Two body scanners have been operational at the Jorge Chavez International airport in Lima for the past two years. One more body scanner is slated to be placed in Tacna airport in September. ¶3. (U) In August, Peruvian police and customs arrested 32 persons and seized 208 kg of cocaine HCL at the Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima and the International Post Office. -------------- -------------- Capture of Sendero Luminoso leader "Mono" leads to Re-education of PNP on Requests for NAS Air Support -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) Peruvian National Police (PNP) on August 9 captured Felix Victoriano Mejia Ascencio ("Mono"),who the GOP claims is a high-ranking leader in the Upper Huallaga Valley (UHV) faction of Sendero Luminoso. ¶5. (C) The Ministry of Interior Intelligence unit (DIGIMIN) requested immediate NAS helicopter support to transfer the prisoner, but did not provide specific, required information to proceed with the operation. Without knowing the flight path, landing zone location, weather in the area, number of people needing transportation, weapons of those being ferried, and whether the aircraft would be passing through a "hot zone," the NAS UH-2s were not authorized to fly until this information was received. As a result of this incident, the NAS director conducted a seminar for all PNP commanders in the coca growing zones, reviewing the requirements for scheduling and authorizing a mission for NAS air assets. There was also an executive session between the NAS Director and the generals present, including the commanding general of the Huallaga emergency zone, to discuss the future of CN operations in the Huallaga valley. We are more confident that future requests for NAS aircraft support will come with the required information, allowing us to make an informed decision about utilizing our aircraft while maintaining standards and ensuring the protection of our flight crews. -------------- Meeting with New Plan VRAE Coordinator -------------- ¶6. (SBU) On August 31, NAS Director and Deputy met with new coordinator of Plan VRAE (Plan for the Apurimac and Ene River Valley) Fernan Valer. Valer said that the situation in the VRAE is grave and has the attention of everyone. He noted that tackling problems in the VRAE is complex because the area is characterized by drug trafficking, the presence of Sendero Luminoso, extreme poverty, and the lack of state presence. The state has no credibility with the population, he said. Cultivation of coca is profitable, and eradication and alternative development are not an option in VRAE at this moment because security conditions do not permit it, he said. Nonetheless, he said he feels pressure from the new Prime Minister to demonstrate some sort of progress in his job before the end of 2009. He is trying to obtain modular units that the Ministry of Education owns, to use as schools, health clinics, and the like in the VRAE. He noted that the United Nations is providing him some technical assistance, and said he is concentrating on obtaining permanent office space and staff. He asked NAS Director whether NAS could provide two vehicles to his office and USD 25-30,000 for operating expenses. NAS Director said he would consider the request. (NOTE: Valer presented a similar request to Charge and USAID reps the previous week. The Embassy is sending a negative response to Valer on behalf of all elements. END NOTE.) -------------- Aviation Report -------------- ¶7. (U) The INL/A ARMS (Aviation Resources Management Survey) Team conducted a no notice inspection of NAS/PNP aviation program August 1-5. The previous ARMS inspection was conducted in 2007. Every 18 to 24 months INL/A reviews flight program management, flight operations, maintenance, training, and flight safety. The one area that required immediate attention was the aircraft maintenance program and maintenance management. Therefore, all aircraft were required to undergo a 100 per cent inspection within seven days or be grounded. All aircraft were inspected using teams from PNP, Dyncorp, and NAS personnel. All grounded deficiencies were written up and corrected prior to flight. No missions were canceled. ¶8. (U) The NAS B1900D aircraft returned to Peru on 9 August after completion of scheduled maintenance by the manufacturer for depot-level work to comply with FAA Airworthiness Directives and the installation of new emergency locator transmitters and other equipment. ¶9. (U) Preparations continue to shift the air support operations for eradication from Santa Lucia to the Tingo Maria forward operation location in early September timeframe. Minor construction of billets for standby flight crews, security personnel, and security upgrades have been completed as directed by Ambassador and RSO. DEA will have limited facilities available. NAS constructed the facilities and DEA reimbursed the cost. ¶10. (U) On 31 August, the Peruvian Air Force C-26 will deploy to the north to Piura to support the DEA annual exercise "All Inclusive." -------------- NAS Director and Deputy Meet with head of Police Education directorate -------------- ¶11. (C) NAS Director and Deputy met August 26 with General Basilio Meza Motta, head of the Education directorate of the Peruvian National Police (PNP). NAS Director stressed the purpose of the meeting was to better understand future PNP education plans including the available PNP budget for police officer training in 2010; where the graduates will go after training; whether the three police academies constructed with NAS funding have sufficient teachers and supplies; how many graduates will the PNP need in coming years; etc. General Mesa responded that he did not know DIRANDRO,s (anti-drug police) exact requirements, and admitted that he had many of the same questions that NAS has. He suggested a follow-up meeting with other PNP officials, including head of DIRANDRO General Teddy Bartra. -------------- NAS Director and Deputy Meet with Huanuco Regional President on New Police Academy -------------- ¶12. (U) On August 19, NAS Director and Deputy traveled to Huanuco to meet with Regional President Jorge Espinoza Egoavil and the Mayor of Santa Maria del Valle, Anibal Solorzano, as well as to visit the construction site of the new police academy. President Espinoza signed and handed to NAS Director a letter committing the regional government to donate 1,123,000 soles to equip the academy. Mayor Solorzano committed a 6.5 hectare site in Santa Maria del Valle, overlooking the Huallaga River and on the major highway, for the actual building. NAS will provide 22 million soles for the construction. When completed, the academy will be able to train 320 students each year and add badly needed police forces to a region of 500,000 inhabitants and the focus of the eradication campaign projected for the next two years. This is a model agreement because unlike many other projects that are entirely USG funded, this is a USG-GOP partnership with a significant contribution by both the regional government and the municipal government. -------------- Eradication -------------- ¶13. (U) On August 12, NAS Lima hosted an eradication meeting for the key GOP players regarding the new push into Tingo Maria. General Juan Zarate (retired),head of CORAH, briefed DIRANDRO head General Teddy Bartra, head of DIRAVPOL (Aviation Police) General Guibert, and General Muguriza (attending for Director General of the PNP General Hidalgo). Zarate stressed that the move into Tingo Maria will represent a new phase of eradication in Peru as it will be the precursor to moving into the Monzon. He predicted that as usual coca growers are likely to protest and attempt to provoke authorities into using force thus creating an incident that they can then use in their propaganda against the Government. Furthermore, Zarate noted, Sendero Luminoso uses the Tingo Maria area as a refuge and a logistics base. The objective is to eradicate about 4500 hectares between now and year end in the Tingo Maria and Aucayacu areas in Huanuco Region using 400 eradicators. ¶14. (U) During August, CORAH eradicated 1,091 hectares of coca in both San Martin and Huanuco Regions; 43 percent was replanted coca. Total hectares eradicated year to date is ¶6360. Of particular interest is the sharp increase in number of maceration pits discovered and destroyed during eradication operations in Huanuco. In San Martin, 27 pits were discovered in seven months; in two months of working in Huanuco, 22 pits were discovered. MCKINLEY